Top 10 Game Shows Of All Time

Number 5

The Hollywood Squares

I personally would not have believed that this series has lasted 24 years up to now. Initiated in 1966, Peter Marshall was the host until the first break in 1982. John Davidson took over hosting duties from 1986 to 1989, after Jon Bauman's stint in the 1983-84 season.

A nine-square layout of tic-tac-toe is filled with celebrities who must answer questions, although they rarely do so seriously. The two contenders must then decide whether the celebrity was telling the truth or not. If the contestant is right, they get the opportunity to place an X or an O and must aim for a tic-tac-toe. Whoopi Goldberg brought this series back in 1998 as the center square, with Tom Bergeron as host.

Number 4

The Match Game

Two teams of three players, one of which was a celebrity, had to secretly write down the same answer to game show host veteran Gene Rayburn's question in order to score the most possible points. A perfect game would have scored you $550, which was quite an impressive sum by the standards of the day. The show ran from 1962 to 1969, came back in 1973 for nine years, and then returned four times for one season during the next two decades.

Number 3

Wheel Of Fortune

I'd like to buy a vowel please. No, actually I would like to solve the puzzle. People have been solving these puzzles for the last 27 years, in a number of different countries and languages, and the show has been officially renewed until the end of the 2006-2007 season. Chuck Woolery was the original host in 1975 but it's Pat Sajak who really got things spinning with his arrival in 1981.

Game play is easy; you spin a wheel when it's your turn and utter a consonant, or buy a vowel. You win some money as the letters light up to form a word or phrase. But really, we all know that Vanna White has something to do with why guys tune in.

Number 2

Jeopardy!

Israel, Denmark, Canada, and Australia have all fallen in love with the celebrated theme song and have spurred their own version of the classic trivia series. Everyone is aware of the show under Alex Trebek's tutelage, but younger viewers might be surprised to learn that it originated with Art Fleming in 1964 and remained on the air for eleven years. The current version has been airing since 1984.

All in all, Jeopardy! has been a household name for 29 years. It might seem like an ordinary quiz show but the hook is that the answer is given and it's the challenger who must come up with the question after choosing the category. I'll choose "that's not too complicated" for $500 Alex.

Number 1

The Price Is Right

"Come on down!" Before Bob Barker came along and gave everyone a chance to make fools of themselves on national television, there was a much tamer version hosted by Bill Cullen that ran from 1956 to 1965. After a hiatus of seven years, the current guru stepped up in 1972 and led the most popular game show of all time.

For 39 years, people have been jumping up and down, bidding on everyday products and playing carnival-style games for a chance to win the big Showcase Showdown. Watching the most eccentric folks in America go wild about a new armchair can be entertaining, but it's Barker's Beauties that make us tune in for more.